The Top 3 Reasons Why Leadership Coaching Programs Miss the Mark!

Shhh, hold that thought, this isn’t what you think. Just a few nuggets (minimum effective dose) to help you find the missing piece to developing your leadership team:

#1: The Coaching program is a one size fits all. Programs that prescribe top down, “this is how you do this,” without flexing to the unique needs of the company and the individual will fail more times than they succeed. These programs, should be called training/consulting programs, not coaching. At the heart of coaching is “developing within” from the DNA of an organizations culture and the unique needs of leadership.

#2: The Coaching program is non-directive/not aligned. In other words, holding to the client agenda. While this approach may work for individual growth, it does not guarantee that the company will actually benefit. In fact, without intentionally aligning the coaching with key organizational outcomes, individual growth can cause “sublimations”. Meaning, good for the person, bad for the company. In these situations, the coach and coachee can find themselves unknowingly, in collusion against the greater system/company! In full transparency, this is a common mistake most coaches make in their early years, and one that I’ve had to overcome through evolving my coaching process/tools.

#3: The Coaching program fails to Challenge leaders outside their comfort zone. Most coaching programs these days are 80% support/20% challenge. And while that keeps things positive and comfortable for the coachee, it will fail to move the needle. Why? Because 90% of growth happens outside your comfort zone. We all need to be challenged with direct feedback, and to follow through on commitments.

As my favorite Harvard MBA use to say, “We all accomplish more when challenged.” -Bob Kyle, former CEO/Chairman, DFP